In the Hall of The Mountain King
by jenajasper
Summary: Once upon a time, there were three brothers...


The little boy jumped into his bed, pulling up the covers as he drew his knees up to his chest. He looked towards the chair by the window. His grandfather was seated there with the big book on his lap.

The book's cover was worn and its spine was cracked, with threads hanging from the binding. The pages had yellowed and some of the edges were eaten away. It was hand written many years earlier, composed of stories told from many years earlier than that.

"Grandpa, tell me again where the book came from."

"This book belonged to my father. He got it from his uncle, who wrote down the stories he heard as a young boy."

"So, are the stories true, grandpa? Should I believe them?"

"The stories may not be true and even if the brothers are not real, what they teach us is true. We must always believe in love and loyalty."

The old man opened the book.

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Once upon a time there were three brothers who protected their town from evil. They fought witches and goblins and sorcerers and demons.

All three brothers were brave, loyal, trustworthy and true, and they loved each other very much.

The first brother was smart. He was so smart, he could find his way home by reading the stars in the sky. He could tell which wild berries were safe to eat and what water was safe to drink. His name was Sam.

The second brother was clever. He was so clever, he knew all about magic .He knew which herbs made you sick and which could make you well. And he knew the powers of all the monsters. His name was Cas.

The third brother was handsome and charming. He was so handsome and charming, that everyone he met wanted to make him happy. And he was the strongest and the bravest. His name was Dean.

There was a sorcerer who lived near the town and he hated the brothers. He feared the smart one, he distrusted the clever one and he envied the handsome one.

One day, the sorcerer went to see the ogre who lived with the bees in the woods. He needed his help defeating a witch, the most powerful witch the world had ever known. The ogre had the only weapon capable of stopping the witch but he was no longer interested in saving people or hunting things.

At one time, the ogre had been very handsome and kind. But, he accepted the curse that had been put on him because it saved his family. And over the centuries, it had made him bitter and cruel.

The sorcerer came up with a plan. If they could convince one of the brothers to come out to the woods, the ogre (with the sorcerer's help) could transfer the curse and the brothers could destroy the witch.

They knew that the smart one was too smart to be tricked. And the clever one would see through the magic. So, they decided they would prey on the bravery and love for his family of the handsome one. With this, not only would the ogre free himself from the curse but, the sorcerer would be free of the witch and the beautiful brother would become ugly and mean.

News of the witch had reached the town and Sam and Dean were concerned. Castiel was away and they were unable to ask for his help. Dean suggested they ask the sorcerer but, Sam was against accepting his help. Dean felt it was worth the risk. The town was in danger and this appeared the only option available.

That evening, Sam and Dean went for a walk in the woods. They often took these walks when they needed to think. They discussed the problem but were unable to find a solution. Sam wanted to wait for Cas to return and just defend as best they could in the meantime. Dean was not so patient.

Suddenly, Dean heard a cry. He stopped abruptly and listened. He heard the cry again and ran off in the direction of the sound. Sam had heard nothing and, followed his brother at a slower pace. By the time Sam found his brother, he found him dazed and confused.

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The old man rested the book on his lap and watched as his grandson settled back under the covers. He sipped from their shared glass of water as he waited. He placed the glass on the bedside table and sliding his fingers across the page, he found his place.

He started to read

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When Cas returned, he found Sam waiting for him. He was afraid that Dean had been touched by magic. His temper was short and the smallest of things upset him. He was anxious to find the witch even though they had no weapon to defeat her.

Cas spoke to Dean and although he insisted he felt no ill effects, Cas discovered that Dean had somehow been marked by the only thing that was powerful enough to destroy the witch. But, it was a curse and it could also destroy Dean.

And while the ogre had transferred the curse, the sorcerer had magically imbedded the summoning spell into Dean's thoughts and this he had shared with his brothers.

Cas and Sam worked furiously to find a way to remove the curse and keep Dean safe. However, Dean became more determined to find the witch and destroy her. Because, unfortunately, the mark was more powerful than all of them.

The three brothers continued their quest to save Dean from the effects of the curse. But Dean was becoming less helpful and more difficult to control.

He would disappear for long periods of time and it was discovered that he was being manipulated by the sorcerer. The curse allowed him to tell Dean things that he would believe without question. And the sorcerer constantly told Dean that he shouldn't wait and only he could triumph. He convinced Dean that his brothers would only hold him back.

Sam and Cas feared for the influence that the curse and the sorcerer held over their brother. So, they kept him under watch.

One night, through the use of magic, the curse helped Dean escape from his brothers. He rode on his black steed for many miles to a place where the ogre and the sorcerer were waiting. They would give him the weapon he needed to kill the witch. They determined that he was ready.

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"Grandpa?" The voice was tiny and the old man knew that the boy was close to sleep. He answered softly, "hmmm?" It was just enough to be heard but not enough to wake the boy if he was asleep.

The little boy shifted and turned to face his grandfather. His eyes were opened and he furrowed his brow. He pulled his blankets close and asked, "What's gonna happen now?"

His grandfather smiled. He had read these stories dozens of times over the years and it was always at this point, or any time the brothers were in trouble, that he asked for this reassurance. This was a game they played.

"I guess they're gonna have to find a way to defeat the monster save their brother."

The little boy's face broke out into a wide grin as he said, "They're gonna kick it in the ass right, grandpa?" And he giggled.

The old man. anticipating the remark, had already pressed his forefinger to his pursed lips to shush the boy. He slowly shook his head and squinted his eyes to present as angry a look as possible (with a smile still on his face) .

He said, "Now you know that your dad doesn't like you to talk like that."

He paused, then added in a whisper, "Yeah, they're gonna kick it in the ass. Just like they always do."

Then old and young both laughed and the little boy, with the help of his grandfather, settled himself back under the covers.

Turning the page, the old man looked up to see that his grandson was fast asleep. He laid the gross grain ribbon across the page to mark his place and gently closed the book.

Placing the book carefully on the bedside table, he grabbed the arms of the rocker to still the chair as he stood up. Then he lifted the book and returned it to its own space atop the dresser.

After flipping the light switch, he gripped the door knob. And as he slowly closed the door, he paused to watch the little boy as he slept. And he smiled as he pictured the dreams of brotherhood, love and loyalty.


End file.
